Sword of Flames [Book I] - {#Wattys2017}

Chapter 10 - The Mysterious Confrontation

Chapter 10 - The Mysterious Confrontation

It was the perfect day to begin her travels. The sky's hue was a gentle violet with the puffy clouds overhead blocking her view. Light zephyrs passed through the land but they were not overpowering; it was just enough to dry the light sweat on Levana's face. The tree branches were loosely intertwined so that light could still peek out into the forest.  The sun's rays highlighted her conflicting features with the Aboves; no mistake would be made as no one would suspect who she was.

The farther she walked, the more uncertain about the trip she was. After every twenty minutes or so her instinct was to go home and get a drink of water before continuing. But each of those times she fed herself the agonizing reminder that she had nowhere to go back to. For as long as it took her to find the swords, the green blades of grass and rigid tree barks were her form of shelter.

Those thoughts quickly came to a halt when she heard rustles in the bushes nearby. Startled, Levana glided her feet on the ground away from the ominous noise. She positioned her body in the same way she was taught by the king. I already have to fight? the innocent girl assessed. I thought I'd at least have time to relax before getting into anything serious!

As Levana sealed herself in her thoughts, the being did not hesitate to transport into the bushes behind her. She yelped and sprinted to the opposite side as if she and her chaser were playing a sick game of tag.

Levana took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a minute, evaluating her possibilities. Should she run away? No; if she did, they would just follow her throughout the forest. Striking right away was another option, but it was highly possible that she would make a mistake and give the villain time to attack back. Although she knew she would have to confront them somehow, she was at lost of what to do. Time was running out until they revealed their true self.

And as her thoughts became reality, Levana's heart skipped a beat less than a second later. She heard a long, deep growl from the bushes that could not have possibly come from a human's vocal chords. The picture in her mind had transformed drastically; the towering, cloaked figure she imagined the suspect to be changed into a haunting beast that could devour her body with its mighty teeth. Her bravery contracted quicker than before, her hands quivering with more strength than a vibrating phone. She cupped her hand on her arm, which was an icy cold, and searched the vicinity with constant vigilance. Her sword was withdrawn to her side, giving the beast a clear spot to attack.

And so it came. A monstrous golden animal she had never seen before pounced out of the bushes onto the flat arena ahead. Its fur was coiled and luscious; its beauty was unrivaled as the light gently peaked out of the branches onto the beast as if the spotlight was on it alone. But the brilliance of the creature did not overcome its horrors. The mouth dripped drool onto the grass below and its head lied not on the front of its body, but was attached to the side of its torso. Vomit climbed up Levana's esophagus, the disturbing body structure making her nauseous. Its formidable legs that were strengthened with large muscles pranced towards the girl in slow motion. The look in the creature's pale eyes were laced with murderous intent.

What should I do? she wondered to herself. She tried to ready her sword and stand in a fighting position, but her mind blanked of all of the training she had endured. As she stood in front of a beast that was definitely out to get her, her fight or flight instincts battled one another. But when the creature widened its mouth one more time and let out a roar more deafening than before, Flight took the crown. The girl ran away from the beast with no sense of her surroundings.

By the time she escaped from danger, she did not know where she was. She looked behind her but there was no beast; thinking about it, she did not even hear steps following behind her. Did the animal even run after me? She knew the answer right away.